Tracing file



wms

May 316, 3967 w. GCEMAN 'IRAC I NG F 1 LE 2 Shee'ts-$heet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1965 m T N E W WAR/FEW L. GOD/WAN BY gdR W may 1%, 19%? w. L. GODMAN 3,320,008

TRACING FILE Filed Oct. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mu... manuna 2(4 Fla-t INVENTOR. gARfPE/V L. GOD/WAN AT RNEY United States Patent 3,320,008 TRACING FILE Warren L. Godman, 6646 Loch Hill Road, Baltimore, Md. 21212 Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,539 4 Claims. (Cl. 312183) This invention relates generally to file cabinets, and more particularly it pertains to a cabinet having retainers for vertically receiving and holding thin sheets.

Thin sheets, such as drawing tracings, are difiicult to file especially if of large size. In the horizontal storage arrangements, it is difficult to extract a sheet without disturbing those uppermost in the pile and the sheet is also difiicult to replace without wrinkling.

In vertical storage, rather elaborate arrangements have evolved to maintain the thin weak tracings in position. However, all such arrangements have resulted in complicated, expensive designs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a vertical storage file for large thin sheets which, while inexpensively made, adequately and compactly supports them.

Another object of this invention is to provide a compliant structure for spacing and holding paper sheets in a vertical position.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a spacer arrangement for vertical storage of thin sheets, to adequately and safely support them, and which tends to laterally urge and smooth the sheet on loading the file to avoid wrinkling thereof.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a file cabinet incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section thereof taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section of the cabinet of FIG. 1 taken on line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the anchorage arrangement for the wire frames taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged depictions of the vertical portions of the frame taken respectively at 55, 66, 7-7 and 88 respectively of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary detail cross section taken on line 99 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the details of the drawings as shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a file cabinet. This cabinet 10 is of rectangular construction and incorporates a hinged top 12 for access to the interior thereof. A pair of elongated steel plates 14 are mounted in the opposite ends of the cabinet 10 near its top as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Each plate 14 from one end to the other is provided with a series of holes 16 equally spaced on a line. Anchorage loops 18 of a plurality of wire frames 20 extend through these holes 16 and are there secured by a wire rod 22 reeved therethrough on the outsides of each plate 14.

The ends of the rods 22 may be anchored by bending over and inserting their ends in the structure of the cabinets as shown at reference 24. An outer cover plate 26 secured to the cabinet 10 prevents the entrance of dust through the holes 16.

Each wire frame 20 including anchor loop 18 is made from two lengths of wire and is generally W-shaped with vertical sides 28 and intermediate or center filaments 30 and 32. The sides 28 and center filaments 30 and 32 depend from a top strand 34 extending from one anchor loop 18 to the opposite counterpart loop 18.

3,320,008 Patented May 16, 1967 FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the preferred method of making the anchor loops 18 in continuation with the sides 28 and top strand 34 from one piece of wire. The center filaments 30, 32 are made from the second piece of wire and hang by the apex on top strands 34 near its center point.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8, sides 28, and center filaments 30 and 32 are formed with repeated zig-zag crimps 36 which lie in a plane normal to that of the wire frames 20. Those sides and filaments are tensioned by extending their terminal ends through spaced apertures 18 in a false bottom 40 of the cabinet 10 and twisted together therebelow.

So stressed, each frame 20 is a resilient structure having effective planar surfaces of small contacting area to sheets S inserted between adjacent ones as shown in FIG. 9. If desired, the sheets S may be enclosed in light paper folders but in either case it is to be noted the diverging filaments 30 and 32 tend to smooth outwardly each sheet or folder as it is inserted to prevent diaphragming.

The wire material of frames 20 presents rounded surfaces with no sharp edges to cause tearing and since the contacting area of the crimps 36 to the paper sheets S is small, there is no difiiculty in inserting or removing them.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teach ings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A filing arrangement for a plurality of large thin sheets, comprising a support structure, a plurality of wire frame members mounted to said structure and dividing it into a plurality of narrow spaces, each for receiving and maintaining fiat one of said large thin sheets, with said frame members each having spaced rounded crimped projections extending therefrom in a plane transverse to the plane of said frame members so as to minimize the contact between said frame members and said large thin sheets, with each said frame member having a loop extending from each of a pair of opposite sides thereof in the plane of each of said frame members, with each said loop being formed of said wire so as to be integral with their respective frame members.

2. The filing arrangement of claim 1 wherein said support structure has a plurality of apertures for receiving the loop of each said opposite sides of each said frame members and additionally, rod means are provided extending through each said loops for securing said frame members to said support structure.

3. The filing arrangement of claim 2 and additionally, plate means covering said apertures and said rod means to prevent dust from passing through said apertures.

4. The filing arrangement in claim 1 wherein the wire of each frame member is formed into a top strand, a pair of side strands, and a pair of diagonally extending intermediate strands, said support structure having apertures at the bottom of said narrow spaces for receiving said intermediate and side strands to thereby rigidity said frame members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 851,789 4/1907 Alexander 214-10.5

902,361 10/1908 Yell 21140 1,366,203 1/1921 Meyer 31210 1,448,892 3/1923 Wiberg 312-10 2,239,483 4/1941 Cocks 21l181 X 2,587,269 2/1952 Yerkes 312-10 3,050,073 7/1962 McMillan 134-137 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FILING ARRANGEMENT FOR A PLURALITY OF LARGE THIN SHEETS, COMPRISING A SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF WIRE FRAME MEMBERS MOUNTED TO SAID STRUCTURE AND DIVIDING IT INTO A PLURALITY OF NARROW SPACES, EACH FOR RECEIVING AND MAINTAINING FLAT ONE OF SAID LARGE THIN SHEETS, WITH SAID FRAME MEMBERS EACH HAVING SPACED ROUNDED CRIMPED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING THEREFROM IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE PLANE OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS SO AS TO MINIMIZE THE CONTACT BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS AND SAID LARGE THIN SHEETS, WITH EACH SAID FRAME MEMBER HAVING A LOOP EXTENDING FROM EACH OF A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF IN 